What it takes to form a professional team - and why it's worth it

Forming an effective team takes some work, but here's why it's important.

Humans are social by nature. This means we’re always looking for groups to belong to, whether that’s family, religious, social, professional, etc.

Members of any human group meet for a purpose. For this reason, a team’s nature is always defined by the reason the group has been created and the constant search to have the right people to obtain the expected results. In a work environment, teamwork is based on some key aspects:

Roles of the participants

This refers to the knowledge, experience, expertise or skills of the team members. In this sense, complementarity is valued because each member makes a different contribution that allows the achievement of the expected results.

Communication

Communication is a definitive factor that allows all the members of the team to be kept up to date on what is happening, and to establish an adequate organizational environment that allows agreements and disagreements to be expressed while managing a given project.

Leadership

Leadership is a characteristic that allows those in charge to motivate and encourage the team members to have clarity in the goals they are pursuing. The leaders are those who visualize the objective and transmit the necessary motivation so that performance improves constantly.

Compensation

All team members must feel that they receive the payment they deserve — and not only financially; they also need to feel acknowledged. In many cases the rhythm of the team may decrease if any of the members do not feel that they receive the deserved recognition, bonuses, or rewards, all of which in turn help them to strengthen their commitment to the team.

Commitment

Once the members of the team bond with each other and identify with the purpose that the group is created for, a sense of belonging is forged. This creates a commitment that unites the members of the team much more.

It’s important to understand that having clear and shared goals is the best incentive for the team to work together, harmoniously and decisively. In this sense, promoting teamwork involves developing motivation strategies that involve the participation of all the members, so that each individual perceives that their contribution is necessary and required for the achievement of the team’s objectives.

Good team players have the following characteristics:

Knowledge of the rationale of the team
Interest in what happens in the team’s life
Contribution to the expected achievement
Sense of belonging — not only to the team but to the organization
Knowing what is expected of them
Supporting other team members when they do not fully fulfill their commitments
Motivating and encouraging the entire team
Sincerely welcoming other members’ successes
Solidarity with other team members
Reflecting on the results obtained and inviting other team members to do the same
Integrating newcomers

Making a team function, therefore, requires gathering people with the right dispositions, as well as complementary skills, clear goals, and good leadership. It may sound like more trouble than it’s worth, but effective teamwork can be a significant factor favoring success.

Here are the advantages of teamwork:

It accelerates the achievement of objectives.
It contributes to the improvement of the quality of life of team members.
It adds value to processes.
It encourages each member to put their skills at the service of the team, with a multiplying effect.
It allows everyone to share the goals and objectives of the task at hand.

Teamwork, in addition to offering higher standards of efficiency in the achievement of objectives and even greater success due to the multiplying effect of its components, is above all a great human value that makes us feel the solidarity of others and the richness of diversity.

Are you an asset to the teams you’re on?